To facilitate foreigners' entry, many countries have adopted the practice of mutual exemption of visas. Then which foreigners can come to China without a visa?

1. Foreigners holding a passport of a country which has a mutual visa-exemption agreement with China. At present, altogether 53 countries have signed such an agreement with China, among which are Cuba, Mexico and Venezuela. According to the agreement, foreigners holding a diplomatic or service passport (ordinary passport for personal affairs not included) can come to China without a visa.

2. Transit visas are not required for those aliens who are in immediate transit through China on continued international flights; who hold connecting flight tickets and have seats booked and who stay for not more than 24 hours within the airport of the in-transit city. Aliens wishing to leave the airport shall apply to the border checkposts for stop-over permits.

3. When vessels operating international service anchor at Chinese ports, foreign crew members and their accompanying family members wishing to disembark at the port city shall apply to border checkposts for disembarkation permits, or lodging permits if they desire to stay overnight on land. Those who, for proper reasons, need to travel to areas beyond the port city or who cannot leave China on the original vessel shall apply to the local public security bureau for appropriate visas.

4. Russian citizens coming to China in groups as tourists can enter China without a visa.